Another Day
by Mimi0204
Summary: The people we meet can change our lives in a heartbeat. Alvin had to find that out the hard way.


Hey everyone. This is a repost of my first "Alvin and the Chipmunks" story. I really hope you guys like it. Also, if you have any suggestions as to what should be included or what-not, let me know. I can only go so far by myself with this one.

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Alvin Seville, lead front-munk for the band The Chipmunks, was walking home after soccer practice. It had been a busy day for the recently turned 15-year-old, and he didn't want to deal with Dave yelling at him for coming home late. That was why he left practice 10 minutes early, just so he could enjoy the walk from school. Besides, it was such a nice day outside anyway. 

Without looking where he was going, he ran into a girl who was carrying a bunch of papers in her arms. She looked about 17, and was dressed in black jeans, a purple shirt and black boots.

"I am SO sorry!" she said, forgetting the papers that were scattered around her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but I'm not the one with the gash on my leg," Alvin stated, pointing to her leg where the jean ripped. She looked down at her leg and shrugged.

"It's a good thing I don't spend so much on clothes. If stuff like this happened to a pair of jeans that were a hundred bucks, I'd go nuts." The girl started to pick up her fallen papers. "But then again, maybe I wouldn't. I've never HAD a pair of pants that expensive."

"Are you gonna be ok?" Alvin was a little concerned for this girl. Maybe the fall hurt her brain, or something.

"Yeah, I'll be…" she stopped talking when she got a good look at Alvin. "Hey! You're one Dave Seville's boys!"

"Yeah. I'm Alvin. Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she stuck out her hand. Politely, Alvin accepted it. "Jessica Pegollado. Jessie, for short. I work with Dave at the studio. He's a very nice man. That's actually where I'm headed now. Well, that was where I was headed until… whatever," she said, looking at her leg.

"Not one for conversation, are you?"

Jessie smiled. "Very funny." After all the pages had been picked up, the two started walking.

"So," Alvin said, "how did you know who I was?"

"Dave talks about you and your brothers all the time."

"He does?"

"Absolutely. You'd be hard-pressed to find a time when he ISN'T talking about you boys." Jessie smiled. "'My boys are so great,' or, 'I'm so proud of my boys.' You guys are really lucky to have him as your father. He practically worships you guys."

Alvin stopped walking. He looked at Jessie like she had grown a second head.

"You lie." was all he said.

"No," she laughed. "I'm being 100 honest here. And for what it's worth, he talks about you the most."

"That's because I'm the best."

Jessie laughed at Alvin's confidence. The two continued to walk and talk for almost 20 minutes. There was something about Jessica that made Alvin feel safe around her. But he was still a little wary. He just met the girl, after all.

"Hey, Jessie. How old are you?" he asked.

"19."

"Oh. Ok." There wasn't much he could say. They continued walking until they reached a busy intersection.

"Why don't you just drive to the studio if you're afraid of being late?" Alvin asked her.

"Because."

"Because?"

"I don't have a car. And even if I did, I wouldn't be able to afford it."

"What about your parents?"

Jessie had a strange look come across her face. It passed so quickly, though, that Alvin thought it didn't happen. "I don't talk to my parents."

"Oh, that's so sad." Alvin stood there, looking at the cars as they whizzed by him. Glancing at his watch, he panicked. "Oh on! Dave's gonna kill me!"

"Why?"

"I'm late! I have to go! We should do this again, sometime soon. It was nice meeting you! I gotta run!" he exclaimed in one breath. He ran into the street, not seeing the black sports car, whose driver was on a cell phone, running a red light, zooming towards him.

"Alvin! Wait!" Jessie ran into the street after him and pushed him to the curb. He rolled and landed in the grass. As he was picking himself up, he heard a screech and a thudding sound. He turned around to see the windshield smashed and the roof of the car slightly dented.

"Jessie? Jessica?" he called out. He slowly walked toward the car where the driver was speaking quickly on his cell phone.

"…out of nowhere! I did! I tried to stop, but I accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes…"

Alvin didn't know how long he was standing there before the crowd started to gather around the accident. He just stood there, fear slowly gripping him. Where was Jessica? It took a minute before realization hit: it was Jessica – hitting the car- that made that thudding sound. It didn't get Alvin's attention until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, son, are you alright? You shouldn't be here."

Alvin finally saw her: eyes closed, scratches and cuts along her face and arms… and it was because she tried to save him.

"Son? Do you need a ride home?"

"She got hit… instead of me."

"What?" the man asked.

Alvin looked at the man. "She was hit. I was supposed to get hit but she pushed me out of the way," Alvin said, pointing to Jessica's prone body, his voice cracking. There was a distant noise, which he assumed was an ambulance. "She pushed me, why did she do that?"

Alvin couldn't take it anymore, he had to get away. So he started running. The last thing heard as he ran away from that man calling out to him, was the sound of the ambulance finally arriving.

"I know that Alvin's usually late, but this is ridiculous!" Dave was beside himself with worry and anger. Between making sure dinner was ready, making sure all his boys were home, _on time_, and getting ready for the meeting he had at the studio later that night, to say he was stressed out would be an understatement. It was almost 6 o'clock, and Alvin was due back at 4:30. Simon and Theodore, who were sitting patiently, shared a worried look.

"What do you think could have happened to him, Simon?" Theodore asked. Before Simon had a chance to open his mouth, the telephone rang.

"Maybe it's Alvin," Simon said to Dave.

Dave picked up the phone, while Simon and Theodore looked at him.

"Hello? Oh, hi Elaine…Yes, I know her. She's a very sweet… She never showed up? That's not like h…She just… Car accident? She doesn't even HAVE a car! How did you find… it was on the news. Alvin…?"

Theodore shot a scared look at Simon. Was Alvin in a car accident? Was he ok? Was that the reason he wasn't home yet? Simon put an arm around his little brother, and held him, knowing that was what he…_they_, needed.

"Elaine, slow down! What happened? Uh-huh. Cleveland Memorial? Ok. Thanks a bunch Elaine. Yeah, you too." Dave hung up the phone and motioned for the two boys to follow him. They were almost in the living room when the door opened and in came Alvin.

"You're alive!" Theodore cried, hugging Alvin. As soon as he let go, Dave kneeled and grabbed Alvin by the shoulders.

"Oh, thank goodness! Where on EARTH were you? Do you have ANY idea how worried I was?!" Alvin stared at Dave. His face was devoid of any emotion, and his eyes were nearly glassed over from the tears he was holding back.

"She got hit. Not me. Dave, why?" And he went upstairs, leaving his family confused at the foot of the stairs.

Alvin closed the door behind him and sat on his bed. The whole time he was walking home, (he got tired of running after a few minutes) all he could do was ask "why". Why didn't he pay attention where he was going, that way they wouldn't have met and she wouldn't be hurt? Why did she push him out of the way? Why didn't he wait? Surely a couple of minutes wouldn't have been too much to wait. And most importantly: Why did he feel so guilty? That one was easy to answer.

It was all his fault.

Dave gently knocked on the door. No answer.

"Ah, Alvin?" He opened the door and walked in. Theodore and Simon were right behind him. He found Alvin rocking back and forth, his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked so lost. And it hurt Dave to see him, or any of his boys, like that. The two boys sat on Simon's bed, as it was closest to the door, while Dave took a seat next to Alvin.

"Alvin, tell me what bothering you. Maybe we could help," he said.

"…can't help. All _my_ fault."

This came as a shock to Dave. Alvin NEVER admitted something was his fault.

"What was all your fault?"

"She was just lying there. It… She wasn't moving."

"She?" Simon asked. "Who's 'she'?"

"Jessica."

"Jessica Pegollado?" asked Dave.

"Yeah," Alvin sighed. "I ran into her, literately, on the street. She told me that she knew you from work, and that's how she knew who I was. She was so nice. IS! She IS so nice."

Dave looked at his son. "I still don't understand. What is all your fault?" He had the tiniest feeling, thinking back to his phone call, he just hoped it wasn't what he thought.

Alvin blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. He'd be damned if he let his brothers see him cry! After regaining some of his composure, he looked up at Dave.

"I was walking home when I realized that I was late. So, I started running. And then, a car was coming… The next thing I knew, I was face down on the sidewalk, and… and Jessica was… she was… he hit her… and all of it could have been avoided if I wasn't…" Alvin couldn't continue. He lowered his head, and, pride forgotten, wept into Dave awaiting arms. For as long as he had the boys, Dave had never seen Alvin react to something like this.

"If it would make you feel better, he could go and visit her in the hospital," Dave offered.

"I don't wanna go," Alvin said. "She hates me."

Simon hopped off his bed and walked over to his brother.

"How do you know she hates you? Did she tell you she hated you?" Alvin shook his head. "Well, then. Don't you think that since she saved your life, the least you could do is pay her a visit at the hospital?"

Alvin sat up straight, looked over to Theodore, who was giving him a reassuring smile, and made his decision.

"Ok. But we have to stop at the store first," he finally said.

"Why?" Simon inquired.

"She saved my life. I have to get her some flowers, a get well card, some balloons and gel," Alvin said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Gel?" Dave asked.

Alvin sighed in exasperation. "Duh. I need to make myself presentable to the person who risked her life for mine."

Dave, Theodore and Simon all sighed.

"Oh, Alvin."

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Ok, so what do you guys think? 


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